Chapter Forty – [Memory, Junior Year, February] – Who Does That?
"You've been boring holes into my forehead for the last fifteen minutes," Alexander said without raising his eyes from the pages in front of him.
How he could do that was beyond Lyn. The demon had several extra senses, not just a sixth one to count as unbelievable, and made use of them at random.
The pale blue eyes turned to him since he failed to provide an answer.
"Out with it," Alexander commanded.
Lyn played with his pen and stole nervous glances around them. They were in the library, late by all standards, so there weren't other students present, not in their vicinity, at least.
"About that thing," he eventually managed, clearing his throat.
"That thing," Alexander repeated, holding him in his steady gaze. "As much as I'd love to be able to do that sometimes, I can't read your mind, Lynton."
Lyn pressed his lips together and leaned back in his chair. Then he reconsidered and leaned forward so he could whisper without running the risk of being overheard by the occasional passer-by.
"The way you've been helping me. With money."
Alexander made an imperceptible nod with his chin. Lyn took it as an encouragement to continue.
"I don't need it anymore."
His mom was making headway with the widower. They were going without fewer and fewer things, and their house seemed to finally be in order. While no one was expecting wedding bells, at least comfort would be assured for as long as the old gentleman required a beautiful younger woman to be hanging from his arm.
"I started keeping tabs on how much I owe you, but I didn't do that from the beginning. Since I know you're a powerhouse when it comes to running calculations, I suppose you know exactly how much we're talking about," Lyn continued, since Alexander remained silent, his face as immobile as ever. "I'd like to know the precise sum and decide together on a schedule to repay my debt to you."
"No," Alexander said and returned to his textbooks as if the conversation was over.
Lyn felt his cheeks growing warm. "Alexander," he whispered, "I know it might not mean that much to you, but to me, it does."
"That is precisely why the answer is 'no'," Alexander replied in the same imperturbable tone.
"Come on, man. I mean, I'm grateful and I'll always be indebted to you because you didn't have to do this--"
"I did have to do it," Alexander interrupted him. His eyes continued to stare stubbornly at his studies, but Lyn knew he wasn't paying them any attention anymore.
"Why?"
"Because we're friends."
"That's true. But money is money. It could sour friendships. I don't want to feel like I've been taking advantage of you. Especially since you kind of forced it on me."
That made Alexander smile briefly. Lyn frowned.
"Okay, you jerk," he hissed, "let's put our cards on the table. I'm not your little charity project. I'll pay you back, regardless of what you want. And if you're not satisfied with the amount, you will have to force that damn aristocratic mouth to speak up, because you won't get your satisfaction otherwise."
"Oh, I'm getting plenty of satisfaction," Alexander assured him, grinning openly now.
And he still didn't move his eyes away from the books open before him.
Lyn smacked one palm on Alexander's textbooks. "You are horrible," he whispered angrily. "Why do you get off on humiliating me? Is it something rich people do?"
Finally, those unnerving eyes fixed on him. "I suppose not. But it is something I do."
"Why?" Lyn insisted.
"You're intelligent and educated. Take a guess," Alexander provoked him.
Lyn closed his eyes for a moment. It took a lot of willpower to not reach across the desk and strangle the life out of that annoying jerk.
Then, a thought struck him.
"You don't have to buy my friendship, Alexander," he said softly. "You have it anyway."
Alexander nodded his approval slowly. "It's good to have that reassurance."
"Don't tell me you had any doubts," Lyn said, feeling slightly miffed.
"It's hard not to. As I said before, I wish I could read your mind."
Lyn let out a small nervous laugh. "Are you sure? My mind is full of nothing but law-related information. You'd be bored. Even you."
"I would not," Alexander protested, as he was wont to do.
"Yeah, I guess so." Lyn relaxed. "I'll pay you back in some other way, then." He caught Alexander's wrist, enjoying the warmth radiating from his friend's skin. Underneath his fingers, he felt the friendship bracelet he'd given Alexander during freshman year. "Would you like me to clean and cook for you?" he asked playfully.
Alexander chuckled and looked him in the eye. "There's hardly any cleaning needed in my small dorm room, and there's no kitchen for you to do anything that could count as cooking."
"Point taken." Lyn moved his hand away, but Alexander caught it, and after a short battle, linked their fingers together.
Lyn pulled back, guffawing like a school kid.
"Silence! This is a library!" someone warned them in a booming voice, making them jump out of their seats and pull their hands apart.
"Fuck, Brad," Lyn exclaimed. He looked around, but luckily, no one was close enough to scold them for being too loud.
"What were you two girls doing, holding hands and all that? Next thing I know, you're going to braid each other's hair," Brad said, plopping down in the seat next to Lyn and wrapping his arm around the back of his chair.
"Jealous?" Alexander asked. "You should grow your hair a little longer, Bradley. That is, if you want to be included in our hair-braiding activities."
Lyn jolted slightly as Brad pushed one hand through his hair. It tickled to have Brad's fingers scraping his scalp slowly, but he didn't protest. Brad was a physical creature; he had learned that a long time ago.
"Are you guys done here?" Brad asked. "Somebody needs to save you before you drown in your studies like two schmucks." His hand didn't leave Lyn's head.
Alexander was staring at Brad, while Lyn felt like a helpless witness to something he couldn't understand. There was definitely a weird energy at play between his two friends, for unfathomable reasons.
Brad removed his hand abruptly, and it took Lyn a long moment to understand that he had done that to wave at someone.
Lyn glanced at Quinn and Joe, who enthusiastically waved back at Brad.
"Since when are you friends with those two?" he asked, as soon as the other guys disappeared from view. By the number of books in their arms, they were there to return them.
Brad shrugged. "They're okay dudes. But you really scared them with your straightness, Lyn."
"How? I don't scare anyone," Lyn protested.
Especially not with his straightness. After that night at the club, months ago, Quinn and Joe had kept their promise.
Or at least, that was what he thought. Could it be they had told Brad something? But no, that couldn't be. Brad wouldn't talk about his 'straightness' like this if that was the case.
"Well, they're bi and proud," Brad said with a shrug. "Also, awesome drinking buddies, unlike you two lightweights."
"Then you should join them," Alexander suggested. "They keep looking at you like they're in the mood to get shitfaced on cheap beer."
Vulgar words sounded too funny in that posh mouth for Lyn not to react. He laughed and as his head turned, he met Quinn's stare from afar. His laughter died, a sudden sensation of shame washing over him. They couldn't think Lyn was laughing at them, could they?
He made a timid attempt to wave. Quinn snorted and moved away, taking Joe's arm.
"Was that an insult, Your Majesty?" Brad provoked Alexander.
"Take it as you like, Bradley. We hate to disappoint you, but we still have to study."
"See you later, then," Brad said, standing abruptly.
Lyn worried for a moment that Brad would kick the chair back so hard it would fall to the ground. "Sorry, man," he said, grabbing Brad's hand. "I'll make it up to you later."
Brad shrugged and shook Lyn's hand away. He seemed to be in one of his foul moods. "Yeah, sure. Bye, Lyn." As if to apologize for his outburst, he ruffled Lyn's hair in passing. But it wasn't entirely friendly.
He looked at Alexander, who appeared not to care at all that Brad had pointedly said his goodbye only to him, as if their third friend wasn't present. The demon had returned to his studying, completely oblivious to the world.
"You shouldn't poke him all the time," Lyn said. "Underneath his carefree attitude, he's pretty sensitive, you know?"
"Yes," Alexander admitted. "I wonder why."
Lyn remained silent. He had no idea why, either. Usually, Brad would brush off Alexander's jabs like they were nothing.
"How do you know the two bi and proud individuals?" Alexander asked, turning to him suddenly.
Lyn straightened up. "I don't know them. I've only seen them around."
"Then how did you manage to scare them with your straightness, as Bradley stated?" Alexander browsed through his study materials, as if this conversation came second to whatever he was reading.
"That's an exaggeration. You know how Brad is. It's just there was this weird encounter I had with them months ago. I think Quinn was trying to hit on me. I might have been too offhand about it."
"I see," Alexander replied. "And did you truly scare Quinn?"
"Ugh, shut up. You're just teasing me. By the way, to those two guys, you're Mr. Handsome AF. I'd be careful if I were you. They might just… hit on you."
"Then I'll make sure to be as offhand in my manner as you were. It worked for you. Right?"
"Yeah. Like a charm."
Lyn stuck his nose in his book. Why did he feel as if he was lying to a stern parent?
TBC